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Xavier Reagan
Xavier Reagan (born 26 October 1978) is a former American soccer player who last played as a goalkeeper for English club Manchester United. He also played for the United States in international soccer from 2000 to 2018. He started his senior career at MetroStars (now known as New York Red Bulls) and remained there for nine years before moving to Italian club Internazionale and then to England, first to West Ham United and then to Manchester United. He won the UEFA Champions League with United in 2016, and in January 2019, announced that he would retire from soccer altogether at the end of the 2018-19 season. Club career MetroStars Born in Inverkeithing, Kansas, Reagan began his career at his hometown club, Inverkeithing Fifers, and then Kansas City Wizards. At a relatively late age, he signed for MetroStars. Even though he joined late he went into the reserve team and bided his time before getting his first team call up by the manager. He made a total of 226 appearances for MetroStars. Internazionale In 2007, Reagan moved to Italian club Internazionale, where he made 66 Serie A appearances before eventually losing the number one spot to Júlio César. He became one of the best goalkeepers in Italian football. Despite the attention of huge clubs all around Europe, Reagan decided to go to London club West Ham United F.C, of the English Premier League. West Ham United Not content to stay on the substitutes' bench at Internazionale, Reagan moved to Premier League club West Ham United in 2009, reportedly for around £7.1 million. Initially signing a four-year contract, he notched up 127 league appearances while at West Ham. His performances for the Hammers caught the eye of Manchester United F.C. and the attention of Rob McGulloch. Manchester United Reagan moved to Manchester United on 10 June 2013 for a reported fee of £2 million, although the exact transfer fee was undisclosed. Manchester United manager Rob McGulloch considers him the best goalkeeper to have played for the club since Edwin van der Sar. On 26 April 2014, Manchester United won 3–0 over Chelsea to secure United's 15th Premier League (and their fourth in a row), and Reagan's first in his debut season for the Red Devils. Over a year later, on 2 May 2015, his penalty save helped assure a 1–0 triumph over Reagan's former club West Ham United. The following day, Chelsea's failure to beat Liverpool at Anfield ensured Manchester United's 16th Premier League title, and their fifth in a row. He was also named to the 2014–15 PFA Team of the Year. Three months later, he was a catalyst in Manchester United's 22nd FA Community Shield victory, as he saved three consecutive penalties in a shootout after Manchester United and Chelsea played to a 1–1 draw at the end of regular time. The 2015–16 season was Reagan's best season since his arrival; he had several great performances despite a niggling groin injury. He would help United secure their sixth successive Premier League title on the final day and win the Champions League by saving the final penalty of the shoot-out from Arthur Lennon. Reagan signed a one-year extension to his current contract with Manchester United on 9 December 2016, keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2017–18 season. United's 2016-17 season meant that, thanks to Reagan, United went 1311 minutes without conceding, equalling the previous clean sheet record set by fellow United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in the 2008-09 season. These clean sheets were a major factor in United clinching their 18th Premiership title (and their seventh in a row) as United won a lot of games 1–0 to clinch the title ahead of Chelsea. With a total of 21 clean sheets he also won the Barclays Golden Glove for 2016–17. On 6 May 2017, in the final minute of the second leg of Manchester United's UEFA Champions League semi-final against Benfica, Reagan injured his skull when Bart Valdés struck his boot in Reagan's head before rounding the American goalkeeper to put Benfica in the final on away goals. A scan on Reagan's head on 31 May confirmed that Reagan would be out until August. United manager Rob McGulloch said: "That was an awful injury. Xavier is lucky he is still alive". As a result, Reagan missed the whole pre-season of the 2017-18 season, the FA Community Shield, and United's first three matches of the 2017-18 Premier League. Reagan made his return to the United squad on 26 August 2017, playing the full 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet in the 3–0 win over Queens Park Rangers. He was sent off in United's 3–1 loss to former club Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League on 12 September, and eleven days later, he was also sent off in a 3–1 loss to Oldham Athletic. On 9 December 2017, Reagan scored an own goal in Manchester United's 3–3 draw with Everton at Old Trafford. Reagan signed a one-year extension to his current contract with Manchester United on 23 February 2018, keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2018–19 season. On 13 March 2018, Reagan scored in the UEFA Champions League First Knockout Round Second Leg away to Rapid Vienna. It was the equalizing goal, and came from a rebound from a penalty kick that had been saved by Reagan's Rapid conunterpart, Jäger Herzog. Despite losing the match 3–1, United advanced into the Quarter-Finals of competition 5–4 on aggregate. On 20 December 2018, British press reported that Rob McGulloch had confirmed Reagan would retire at the end of the 2018–19 Premier League season. Although he denied the reports at the time, Reagan confirmed on 24 January 2019 it now was his intention to retire at the conclusion of the season. He was included in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of the season, making his third appearance there, others in 2014, 2015, and 2016. On 19 May 2019, he played his final game at Old Trafford in a 4–2 victory over AFC Bournemouth resulting in Bournemouth's relegation from the Premier League. He captained United as a farewell treat. His last game for the United was against Real Madrid in the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, of which United lost 3–1. On 25 May 2019, the same day as the Champions League Final, Reagan retired from active soccer. Category:Leubantia